Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Please consider this area for any addioanal funding available to patrol for OHV enforcement. As a local resident who hikes and uses the trails in the area, I see first hand the abuses to our beautiful mountains. It is so close and easily accessible to people from surrounding areas who may not have the highest respect for our fragile invornornment and are likely to destroy wildlife habitat, leave unsightly trash, and intentionally or not, start costly and devastating fires. This area is far to large to cover with the current funding and must step up the enforcement to adequately protect this area. Marilyn Mays - 3/18/17
Los Angeles Sheriff Department OHV Program,
I would like to take this opportunity to provide comments regarding the OHV program.
My family and I own approximately 700 + acres that encompasses and overlaps the boarders of Valyermo and Llano off of 165th St East/Bob's Gap Road in the Antelope Valley/Valyermo Valley.
Recently we have been seeing an extremely high amount of OHV tracks and OHV vehicles all over on our posted private property. They are beginning to create trails on our once undisturbed land, not to mention the rudeness of riders, noise & trash that is being strewn on my property.
Recently when I called the Palmdale Sheriffs station, non-emergency line to request a patrol vehicle or the OHV Team (info found on your website), the operator did not seem to know what an OHV was or understand the reason for my call. She automatically transferred me to the CHP, who does not handle OHV or trespassing on private property. I am very disappointed that your department receives funding for such a beneficial program, but your staff is not properly trained to handle calls regarding these issues.
I would hope that this program receive their funding for this year, and that they adequately train all staff as to what the program is and how to handle calls. I would also hope that in the future when I call to report problems, that I would get a response either from the OHV team or a deputy and not passed off to another agency. I think the idea of an OHV team is great, but does not do the public any good if we are not able to contact them in some fashion and receive action or a response.
I hope to hear back from someone in with your agency in the near future. Thank you, Dorsey Hogue-Johnston - 3/26/17
I live in Palmdale, very near some desert areas. My wife and I like to go hiking up through the trails in the hills that are right behind our house. But we are often over run by motorcycle and OHV people who speed past us and tear up the dirt areas. If they would just stay on the roads it would be fine but they are going off road tearing up the hills.
We have come across the patrols on several occasions and they have been very courteous and have asked if we have had any issues with bikes or off-roaders. We have appreciated their support in trying to keep things safe in the trail areas and to make sure everybody follows the rules. We would very much like to see these patrols continued as it helps to keep our community safer to live in and makes the trail areas usable and safe for everybody. Thanks Ron Tucker - 3/3/17
I am currently a resident of the unincorporated area of Acton, California and I moved here in 2003 from the City of Santa Clarita. I moved here for the wide opened spaces and the ability to house my horses in the right environment where others around me had common grounds of purpose.
I did not move here for "OFF ROAD VEHICLE" endurance. I was under the impression that there were "designated areas" for that so it would be safe to ride my horse.
My home is located on a private dirt road that used to be quiet and mainly used for my own home entrance, a delivery vehicle once in a while and neighbors riding their horses and/or walking with their dogs. My road is set back off the main road of Soledad Canyon Road and does not have an exit, therefor leaving my road and surrounding dirt roads to be for residents only needing to use them.
For the past 4 years now, I have experienced an excessive increase of motor vehicle passer-by(s) that have no reason or need to be driving on this road, except for the pure excitement of using the dirt to drive their Dirt Bikes, Quads & other OFF ROAD VEHICLES as fast as possible. What this does is stir up dirt (ruining my freshly painted white fencing), makes my dogs bark & run, creates a possibility of a collision driving my car out of my gate, stirs up & stresses my horses. It also makes me in fear of riding my horse out on the road, especially when my horse is in training and could possibly throw me off endangering my safety....not to mention, the loud, unwanted noise disturbance contradicting the reason I moved here in the first place.
I had read in the Country Journal last year about calling Sgt. Jeff Acton if any OFF ROAD VEHICLES were being used on any roads. I did so, and I was not unsatisfied. He takes your complaint seriously, he understands the rural life style, he continues to educate the person(s) involve and/or cited, he is professional and attends to the issue right away and most importantly, he takes your complaint and his job seriously.
Our little town needs more Sgt. Actons' so that we can keep this under control, especially with the housing market sales and new home owners that seem to think it's alright to bring their OFF ROAD toys and hit the dirt simply for the sole reason of being dirt and not knowing the bi-laws.
PLEASE HONOR THE APPLICATION AND GRANT THE DEPARTMENT MORE FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM. IT WORKS!!!!!
Sincerely, Cyndi Baker - 3/12/17
I have lived in Acton, CA for 16 years now. During this time period we've been inundated with Illegal Dirt Bike riding, OHV's (including Polaris type vehicles and homemade dune buggies) and the like. Despite putting up signs and verbally telling the offenders that their activities are illegal, it has continued. Not only do they disturb the peace, but they tear up our roads, our hills, trespass through properties, they are rude and inconsiderate, they create a lot of dust, noise, cause ruts in the roads and hillsides which lead to erosion and flooding of various areas where people like us live (in the dirt).
Additionally, I personally was nearly hit by an illegal dirt bike rider who drove up my road and almost hit my vehicle head on as I was driving west on the road in front of my property. There have been a number of other times when I've been on horseback and had illegal dirt bike riders or Quads come out of nowhere and scare my horses who in turn run and become out of control causing great danger to not just myself but also to the horse and anyone else who may end up in the path of an out of control horse.
Not too long ago it came to my attention that the Palmdale Sheriff Station had an active OHV Team in charge of patrolling and catching these offenders on Sheriff Department Dirt bikes. There is no other way to catch these offenders as Deputies in patrol vehicles have no way of getting their patrol vehicles through skinny tight paths, or up on the SCE Roads, or other steep areas, etc.
Since the OHV Team this has been patrolling our area and responding to complaints, the number of offenders has gone down greatly. Some offenders remain a problem but it is being worked on by the Enforcement Detail.
The Sergeant in charge in Acton, CA (Sgt. Jeff Acton) is very good at what he does and very receptive to civilians calling in complaints and helping to find the culprits and deal with them appropriately.
I ask that this Grant be given to the Applying agency so they may continue doing the outstanding job which they have been doing.
Thank you for your time, Sincerely, Cathy Norman - 3/12/17
Download comment. Marcy Calnan, J.D., M.Ed. - 3/8/17